Thresher and separator.



No. 678,897. Patented July 23, [90L F; E. MGNALL. THRESHEB AND SEPARATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 2, 1900.) V

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No. 678,897. Patented July 23, IBM.

F. E. McNALL.

THRESHEB AND SEPARATOR.

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No. 678,897. Patented My 23, MM.

F. E. McNALL. THRESHER AND SEPABATOR (Application filed Mar. 2, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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No. 678,897. Patented July 23, I901. F. E. IIGNALL. THRESHEB AND SEPARATOB.

(Application filed m. 2. 1900.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.

YNI NORRIS PETIRS CO PNOTOLIIHOH WWINDTDN, D C.

No. 678,897. Patented My 23, 1am. F. E. McNALL.

THRESHEB AND SEPARATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 2. 1900.)

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(No Model.)

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I U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. MONALL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES J. GOTSHALL, TRUSTEE, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

T HRESHER AND SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,897, dated July 23, 1901. Application filed March 2, 1900. Serial No. 7,072. (No model.)

To all whom/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK E. MoNALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Thresher and Separator; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable IO others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to combined threshers and separators, and was especially designed with a view of effecting certain improvements :5 in the machine disclosed in my prior patent,

No. 588,803, of date August 24, 1897.

To this end my invention consists of the novel devices and novel combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims. The design of this class of machines is such as to render centrifugal force and airpressure simultaneously available on the stock in the separating action, as was fully pointed out in my said prior patent.

My improved machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, like notations referring to like parts throughout the several views- Figure l is a view, chiefly in front elevation,

0 but partlyin vertical section, on the line w 00 of Fig. 2, with some parts broken away, illustrating the structure and relation of the parts at the forward end of the machine. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in left side elevation, but

chiefly in vertical section through the machine on the line 00 00 of Figs. 1 and 6, with some parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a viewin horizontal section on the line :0 m of Figs. 1, 4,and 6, with some parts broken away 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line a 0: of Figs. 2 and 3, with some parts broken away. Fig. 5 is a view through the front end portion of the machine in vertical section on the line :0 x of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a view, chiefly in 5 rear elevation, with some parts broken away and others shown in section, for illustrating the parts at the delivery end of the machine.

The main framel may be of any suitable kind, but as shown is of skeleton form and is oblong in shape. To the forward end of the frame are secured a suitable feed-hopper -2 and a casing 3, which casing is provided with an inclined bottom serving as a fixed grainboard 4. Within the casing 3 is mounted the threshing-cylinder5,acooperatingadjustable concave 6, and grating 7. Within said casing 3, rearward of the cylinder 5,is located a beater 8, in proper position for cooperation with the said threshing-cylinder. Directly rearward of the grating 7 and Within the casing 3 is located a comb made up of a series of arms 9, with depending fingers 10 of expanded form crosswise of the casing 3, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 5. As illustrated, the flat fingers 10 have their upper ends bent together and riveted to the arms 9. The arms 9 are arranged in two series, one in advance of the other, thereby permitting the expanded portions of the flat fingers 10 of one series alternating or breaking joints with those of the other series, as best shown in Fig. 3. These comb-fingers 10, therefore, disposed as described, stand in the path of the flying particles of grain as delivered from the threshingcylinder, concave grating, and picker, and together form a complete barrier or deflector, insuring the interception of the grain and the deflection of the same onto the grain-board 4.

The cylinder-shaft is provided with a driving-pulley 11 for the application of power in 8c the customary way. At its right end the cylinder-shaft is also provided with a small pnlley 12, which in practice is connected by a belt (not shown) with a suitable pulley 13 on the right end of the picker-shaft for impa-rting motion to the picker 8. With the exception of the comb formed by the parts 9 10, as hitherto described, the threshing devices so far noted are of the ordinary well-known kind. The thing to note is that the thresh- 9o ing-cylinder and the parts cooperating therewith within the casing 3 are located to one side of the transverse center of the machine taken as an entirety. This brings the outlet from the thresher proper to one side of the 5 axis of the rotary separating-drum, which will presently be noted, ,for-a-purpofiwhichwill be stated when tracing the action of the machine.

On the left side of the machine, disposed 10c lengthwise thereof and outward of the thresher-casing 3, is located a main shaft 15,

which is. connected at its forward end by a pair of bevel-gears 14 with the left end of the cylinder-shaft. Near its forward end this main shaft 15 has attached thereto a fan 16, working within a housing 17, having its main delivery-spout 18cc rved downward and backward for delivering the main lfiidy of the current of air from the fan to the chamber or space between the two shells of the rotary separating-drum, as will presently more fully appear. Said air-spout 18 is tapped by a comparatively small spout 19, which extends forward to. the front end of the machine and then crosswise thereof, asbest shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, and is provided with a delivery slit formed by a pair of projecting flanges 2O properly positioned to deliver a sheet of air directly oyer the head end of thegrain-board 4 This blast of air over theggrain-board. in,- nr s the f ee mov men of. he. g ai engthwish? of, theboard andassistsintheseparatin g action. The inlet to. the branch, spout 19- fir m he; m in t nk. 18 sv co tro led by a suitable hand-valve 21, cooperating with a.

seetionat their forward ends for purposes hich-w ll ater be. o T e said rotary separator rests ona set of four antifrictionrollers 25;, carried by shafts2b, and is furtherguided. and, held by an additional pairof antifrictionq-ollers. 2.7-, loca.ted; at. the .sidesof the, main frame, for action on the sides of thedru m. Of these antifriction-rollers the forward pairof; the bottom members25- and the pair of side rollers 27 havedoublegrooves andfianges with a \L-shapedcenter for coiiperation with a grooved annular band 28, secured to theforward end portion of the outer shell 23, directly rearward of the enlargedfrontend of the drum. Thisconstruction of said; band; 28, and the said supporting; and guiding rollers 26 and 27, which cooperate with, said: band, prevents the longitudinal displacementofthedrum,andin cooperation with the rearinost pair of bottom, roller-s25, whichareordinary plain-faced roller-sin. (ll: rectcontaet with the outer shell, se rve to hold the. rotary separating-drum with freedomfor rotation, with the minimum of power,- The shafts 26, which carry the bottomu'ollers25', are. p o ided w v nrocket reat hei irear ends, engaged bya chain 30, as best shownin F gz e. is z an nberof saidr lle shafts 26 is also pro videdfwith.a;spr0cl e;t 31, ga e -by a v 32, pass g ve sp ocket 33. on. a. shortcounter-shaft 34 at the rear end ofthe frame, which in turn has a pulley 35, connected by a belt (not shown) with a pulley 36 on the rear end of the main shaft 15. In this Way the bottom rollers 25 receive motion in a common direction from the main shaft 15, thereby affording a positive drive for securing the rotary motion of the separating-drum.

The outside shell 23 of the separating-drum is shown as provided with a series of serrated cleats or ribsa, spirally disposed on its interior for directing the grain caught on the interior surface of the drum toward the forward end of the outer shell and into the enlarged forward end thereof. The inner shell 24 is provided witha seriesofperforations c ;of suitable form. for permitting the passage of the g-raintherethroughinto the chamber 13 jbetween; the two-shells, The inner shell24 iiS, also provided on. its inner surface with a ise-ries of angular brads or upturned lips c, spirally disposed in respect to. the inner surthe proper direction for permitting the brads ithe rear end of the drum. Theenlargedforf= wifh a, series, of, flights. a, which. permit this secti'onof thedrum tofact as an elevator, co.- operatiug with the, finedi segm eniral plate; or {trough-bottom 3'7, suitably supported from the; main frame, for permitting the said flights tionof the-drum as the drum approaches and passes. through, the upper areof its travel. The said fixedsegmentil? is provided-withan outlet or discharge spout 38, through which the grain, carried up by the elevator is directed out; to.- a. bagger-head, (not shown) or other point desired. The enlarged forward endof the inner shell24: is in the form of a troughincross-section, havinginclined sides and a straight bottom, as shown at 0 The front side of this trough a undenreaches the grainrboard; 4v and overreaches the rear end of the-thresher-casing 3. The said troughsection c off theinner shell 24 is provided with a series of comparatively large flights f, eonstructedof proper shapeto fit the straight orbottom section of the trough and the inner or inclined-sectionthereof and to extend; on anangle lengthwise of the shell. and toward the, rear end of the same for cooperation with a combined propeller and fan 39, secured tot-hemain shaft 15 at, thehead. of the rotary separating-drum in substantially thesame vertical. plane in cross-sectionas the troughc" of the inner-shell 2 L of-the drum, as best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The blades of. the combined fan and propeller 39 are nothoused, in but are provided with a short gum-d 10, projecting-out for ashortdis-tance over, the samegfrom the thresher end of the frame.-. The Saidangles or flights f, disposed asgdeseribed, also, serve to carry, up the grain and other-materials collecting in the trough face of, said: shell, with. the spiral running in.

lto-work the stock delivered thereto toward iwardsectionof' the outer shell 23 isprovided' a, to pass over the; sameiunder the rotary mosection 0 of the inner shell 24 and to deliver the same out of the trough-section and into the main body of said inner shell in a gradual manner, instead of by a sudden spill or a roll back into the trough.

At its rear end the rotary separating-drum abuts against or, more accurately speaking, works close to one section 41 of a partitionplate 41 42, transversely disposed across the frame near the rear end of the machine. Directly to the rear of the partition-plate member 42 are located on the main shaft 15 a pair of fans 43 and 44 within suitable housings 45 and 46, one of which housings is partly formed by the division-plate 42. The division-plate 42 is provided with an opening constituting the eye to the fan 43. The back plate of the housing 46 is provided with an opening constituting the eye to the fan 44, and this is covered by a trunk-section 47, extending downward and forward to the chamber B or space between the two shells 23 and 24 of the separating-drum. Both fans 43 and 44 are shown as delivering to the common outlet or stacker tube 48. The two fans 43 and 44, with their respective housings, constitute a bipartite or double discharger for delivering the stock from the rear end of the rotary separating-drum to the stacker-tube 48. The discharger-fan 43 and its housing cooperate with the inner shell 24 of the rotary drum, and the discharger-fau 44 cooperates with the fan 16 at the head end of the machine for joint action on the chamber B or space between the two shells 23 and 24 of the separating-drum. The fixed partition-plate 42 has attached thereto a segmental inwardlyflaring jointplate 49, projecting forward therefrom, and overreaching the rear end of the inner shell 24 of the drum. This jointplate 49 is provided with end pieces 50 at its upper ends for filling in the corners between the same and the partition-sections 41 and 42, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The diiferent parts of the machine have now all been specified.

Before undertaking to trace the general action the fact should again be noted that the threshing-cylinder and its cooperating parts within the casing 3, or, otherwise stated, all the elements of the thresher proper, are located to one side of the transverse center of the machine. In the instance illustrated the said threshing elements proper are to the right of the transverse center of the machine. It should also be noted that the main shaft 15, which carries at its rear end the dischargers for the straw, ehafl", and other stock delivered thereto from the separating-drum, is located at the left side of the machine, or, in other words, is not in a common line with the delivery end of the thresher-casing 3. It follows that the inlet and the outlet openings from the rotary separating-drum are eccentric to each other or out of line with each other lengthwise of the machine. It being further recalled that the rotary separatingdrum cooperates with the fixed transverse partition between the same and the dischargers, it follows from these peculiar relations of the features named that there is a comparatively-dead-air space at the righthand side of the rear end of the inner shell of the separating-drum. These facts being borne in mind, the general action of the machine can be more readily understood.

Operation: With the exception of the peculiar action due to the comb formed by the parts 9 and 10 directly to the rear of the grating 7 in the thresher-casing 3 and the peculiar action due to the sheet of air delivered under pressure tothe head end of the grainboard 4 from the fan 16 the actions of the threshing elements proper are substantially the same as those in the ordinary machines. The peculiar action of the novel comb formed by the parts 9 and 10 and the peculiar action' due to the sheet of air delivered under pressure to the head of the grain-board 4 as another novel feature have already been noted. The rotary separating-drum, composed of the shells 23 and 24, rotates from the left toward the right, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1. The shaft 15 and all the parts carried thereby rotate from the right toward the left, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1. Hence the combined fan and propeller 39 rotates in adirection opposite to the rotation of the drum-shells 23 and 24. The separating-drum is of course rotated at a comparatively slow rate of speed. The shaft 15 and the parts carried thereby, including the combined fan and propeller 39, are rotated at a comparatively high rate of speed but at a speed less than the speed of the threshing-cylinder 5. The combined fan and propeller 39 being located sufficiently near to the enlarged or trough section'c of the inner shell 24 for cooperation with the angular flights f, it follows that the stock delivered to the head end of the inner drum-shell will be given a sharp throw upward, rearward, and toward the right, thereby moving the same through the comparatively-dead-air space at the rear right end of the inner drum-shell. This affords what might be called a settling-chamber for the flying particles of grain, permitting the same to drop from the straw, or, in other words, allowing gravity and centrifugal force to act on the grain under circumstances of greatest advantage, or, otherwise stated, at a time when the stock is most free from the suction of the discharger-fan 43. Hence thorough separation is insured, as was noted in my prior patent. The presence of the angular flights f, properly disposed for coaction.

with the combined fan and propeller 39, is an improvement over my prior patent both for tearing apart and shaking up the straw and giving to the same a more violent pitch to the rear right-h and corner of the inner drum-shell. The said flights f also serve the other purpose hitherto noted for getting the loose grain, unthreshed heads, and small broken-up parts out from the trough-section c and into the IIO main body of the inner shell 24 in a manner most favorable for good separation. Along with the grain more or less of the chaff and fine particles of straw will fall through the openings of the inner shell 24 into the cha-m-' ber B and onto the inner surface of the outer shell 23 of the drum. In this chamber this light stock becomes subject both to the suction from the discharger-fan 44 and to the blast supplied from the fan 16 at the head of the machine through the air pipe or spout 18 to the head end of the chamber B. In my prior patent this chamber B was subject to the suction from the corresponding di'schargerfan 44 only. By the addition of the blast through the spout 18 from the head-end fan- 16' the pressure in the chamberB can be kept sufficiently high to prevent any undue suction through the openings of the inner shell 24, thereby insuring abetter action from the inner shell onthe stock handled thereby and also securing a better action on'the chaff and light fine stuff which falls from the inner shell onto the outer shell through the chamber B; All of this-light stuff under the-conditions named is carried-off through the trunk 46 into'the eye of the fan 44 of the disch-arger.

Another feature of improvement in my present machine as compared with the ma ters' Patent of the United States, isasfollows:

chine disclosed in my prior patent and, so

far as I know, any other machine of this gen A eral type is the relative disposition. of the j threshing-cylinder and the main shaft 15,

which carries the fan 16, combined fan and propeller 39, and the fans 43- and 44 of the discharger. In my prior patent the discharger and the combinedfanandpropeller and-some other parts were all on a common shaft extending lengthwise of the drum. Hence the feed-hopper for the thresher had toextend out to the side of the frame for a side feed and all the said parts carried by the said s ingleshaft had to run at a common speed ooincident with that required for the proper action of a threshing'cylinder. was too high for the desired action ofthe other parts on the common shaft. By; providing the separate shaft 15 for the parts 16, 39, 43, and 44, which cooperate with the rotary drum in the separating and discharging actions, and arranging the same at right angles to the threshing-cylinder, as described, I am able to preserve the desired front-end feed for the thresher and to secure any desired relative speed on theshaft 15 by using bevelgears 14 of the proper desired relative sizes for connecting the shaft 15 to the shaft of the threshing-cylinder. Hence this improve ment is one of considerable importance. It is thought that a machine organized as herein disclosed will have large capacity and atthe same time secure thorough separation. I People familiar with fieldwork from ordinary threshers which employ pneumatic stackers when built for theheavybusiness required in the Northwestern Wheatbelt arewell aware This speed that thorough separation is seldom, if ever, secured. The suction from the pneumatic stacker-fan in the ordinary machines carries out a considerable portion of the grain not separated from the straw into the pneumatic stacker and thence through the same to the stack, which is of course a considerable loss.

It will be understood, of course, thatthe details of the construction can be changed 1 without departing from the spiritof my invention. For example, the air-distributor which delivers the sheet of air to the head of the grain-boardis' shown as a part of the pipe 19', leading back to the main deliveryspou-t 18 from the fan 16; but it is obvious that the said distributor might'be in a separate piece and might be otherwise formed for the delivery of the air as long as this air under pressure was delivered in" such a way as to'haveia' sweeping action on' the face of the grain-board.

The trunk 4'7 is shown, Figs. 2" and 6, as

provided with a check slide or door 51, coni trolling anropening to the-atmospherefort/he purpose of regulating the suction from the fan 44 as may be desired in respect to the action of the fan on the chamber B between the two-shells ofthe separatingdrum.

What I claim, and dos-ire tosecu re hy'Let- 1*. In a combined thresher and separator, the combinationwith the stacker,-ofa rotary separating-drum, composed of the shells 23 and 24 spaced apart toafford the intermediate chamber B, the two-fan dischargerhav 'ing. oneof its fans connected by drafetrunk with the rear end of said cha'mberB, for suction act-ion thereom-andablast-fan having itsdeliveryspout positioned-to discharge into the head-end-iof said chamber B, all for cooperation substantially asdescribed.

2. In a combined thresher and separator, the combination withthe thresher, of a-rotary separating-drum receiving therefrom, a combined fan and propeller at the head end of the drum, with its blades positione'd-towork near the inner'surface'of the drum, and angular flights onf'the saiddrum' for cooperation' with the blades of said propeller, under the opposite rotary movements of said drum and propeller, for conjointaction on the stock delivered to the drum from'the thresher, substantial] y as and for the purposes-set forth. 3. The combination with the thresher,of the rotary separating-drum, the straw-discharger, the combined fan and propeller 39 and the [lights-f onthe-head end of the inner drum, forcooperation with said propeller 39, as described, with the-inlet and outlet openings of the inner shell of the drum located out ofline or eccentric to eachother, all for cooperation substantially as described.

4.- In a thresher, the combination with the threshingcylinder and concave, of a comb directly rear-ward of the concavewithin the thresher-casing, which comb is composed of I same to the underlying grain-board, substan- 10 a series of rearwardly-projecting arms 9, the tially as described.

alternative members of which are of unequal In testimony whereof I alfix my signature length, and a series of expanded fingers 10, in presence of two Witnesses.

secured to the rear ends of said bars and ex- T tending downward therefrom in position to FRANK MCLALL lap with each other, for affording a complete Witnesses:

deflecting-comb adapted to intercept the fly- M. M. MCGRARRY,

ing particles of grain and precipitate the l F. D. MERCHANT. 

